Breathing masks are used particularly for administering a breathable gas mixture, such as ambient air, at a pressure level that is above the ambient pressure. Delivering the breathing gas at a pressure level that is above the ambient pressure can serve for instance to perform CPAP therapy for treating stroke-related breathing problems or Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).
A breathing mask for administering a breathable gas to a user is known from the International Patent Application PCT/EP02/11798 of the present Applicant, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. By means of this breathing mask, it becomes possible, in collaboration with the surface of the face of a mask user, to seal off an interior of the breathing mask from the environment. Such breathing masks are used particularly in conjunction with medical or therapeutic administration of breathable gases as well as in the industrial field, such as in the field of respiratory protection. Typically, in these breathing masks, the sealing off of the surface of the face of the breathing mask user is achieved by means of a sealing lip structure extending all the way around the mask opening and pointing inward and seated on the surface of the face and made from an elastically deformable material. To keep the breathing mask in the application position, a headband device or headgear is typically used, which is wrapped around the region of the back of the user's head and forces the breathing mask against the surface of the user's face. The breathing mask may include a forehead pad, which makes bracing of the breathing mask possible in a region located above the bridge of the user's nose. The sealing action attained with such breathing masks having such sealing lips generally increases with the contact pressure against the surface of the face. When the contact pressures are high, long-term use of such breathing masks can be unpleasant and can cause pressure points in the region of the contact zones.